Volume One, Chapter 9: Basic Arm Strength

Lin Hu strode forward, a trace of wariness in his eyes, but seeing the five men so terrified, he doubted they would dare fight back.
“Tiger, what... what are you doing?”
Erguai’s whole body was trembling unconsciously as he listened to Lin Hu’s words.
“Erguai, you want to follow me from now on, right? Well, first I need to slap you four times!”
Lin Hu had already done the math. Beyond the fourth slap, the proficiency gained was only one point and no longer worthwhile; four slaps per person, fourteen points each, maximizing his benefit.
“Huh?” Erguai was at a loss. “Tiger, I...”
He usually ran with Ma Dalv’s crew, and now, having suddenly switched sides, he feared retribution once this was over.
“Fine!”
“I understand.”
Seeing Erguai hesitate, Lin Hu realized the reason, so he decided to start with the most cowardly among them, Ermai.
“Ermai, what about you?”
“Uh... I...” Ermai shrank back. “I, uh...”
“I see, you’re not really sincere about yielding, are you? Well, there’s nothing I can do then!”
With that, he made as if to turn away.
“Tiger, Tiger, I’m serious, I really am, go ahead, hit me—just four slaps, right? From now on, we’ll all follow you!”
“You’re volunteering, right?”
“Yes, yes, yes...” Though his words were insincere, Ermai nodded emphatically.
“Alright, just remember—we agreed on this. Don’t hold a grudge over these slaps; all I want is for you to show submission.”
The group all grimaced.
None of them understood what Lin Hu was trying to accomplish.
But under another’s roof, they had no choice but to bow their heads. What else could they do but endure?
Seeing their silent acquiescence, Lin Hu began, starting with Ermai.
Smack!
A long-awaited burst of proficiency drifted up.
[You’ve slapped a village ruffian. Arm Strength skill proficiency +5!]
“Indeed, the first time is still five points.”
“Excellent.”
Smack!
The second slap.
Proficiency +4.
“So it’s confirmed, the greatest proficiency gain from one person comes from the first few slaps; afterward, to gain more, I’d need combos or follow-ups!”
“Four each, then.”
“No need to squeeze them dry; I’ll need these guys as my followers later.”
Lin Hu hadn’t ignored Erguai’s concerns.
In Shanhe Village, there were twelve natural hamlets, each with its own bunch of loafers forming little cliques. They often clashed with each other over women, food, wild game, and such.
Though these idle types were good-for-nothings, they still protected their own hamlet’s interests against outsiders. In a sense, if he wanted his hamlet to be strong in the future, he’d need their help.
And so, the slapping continued.

With a crisp “ding,” his Arm Strength skill finally leveled up.
[Your innate skill Arm Strength (Uninitiated) has reached 100% proficiency. Upgraded to: Arm Strength (Beginner).]
“Ha!”
“Finally leveled up!”
“Beginner Arm Strength!”
All at once, Lin Hu felt as if energy was coursing through his body, filling him with power.
Especially in his arms—tiny currents seemed to be darting through his muscles, every fiber trembling as if his very cells had been awakened.
A wave of heat began at his shoulders, spreading down his arms—wherever it passed, his muscles felt reforged, growing taut and elastic.
He could sense the muscles tearing and rebuilding, but instead of pain, it brought a strange euphoria.
Each surge restructured and strengthened his muscles, as if an evolution was taking place on a microscopic level.
He tried clenching his fists, and veins bulged instantly on his arms, the strength feeling as if it might burst through his skin.
“It really is an enormous increase in power. Let’s see how much!”
Excited, Lin Hu summoned the Arm Strength skill window.
[Skill: Arm Strength (Beginner)]
[Proficiency: 0/1000]
[Effect 1: Spiritual Muscle Formation—muscle fibers are reshaped by spiritual energy, greatly increasing their resilience, speed, and explosiveness. Self-repair after injury increased by 100%.]
[Effect 2: Beginner Strength—Arm strength increased by 100 kilograms.]
...
“Amazing!”
Unable to contain his excitement, Lin Hu clenched his fists, admiring the way his veins nearly broke the surface of his swollen muscles.
He could clearly feel his strength had far surpassed his former self.
Now, even bending an iron bar with his bare hands seemed within reach.
A normal adult man’s arm strength was only seventy kilograms at most, even with specialized training barely surpassing a hundred.
But now,
he had gained a fixed increase of one hundred kilograms atop his original strength, putting him beyond professional standards.
Most importantly, his injury recovery had doubled.
If he kept leveling up this Arm Strength skill, would his self-healing become even stronger?
Just like those superpowers in American blockbusters?
Ha ha ha...
In his excitement, Lin Hu swung his arm, the air whistling as if a miniature whirlwind had whipped up.
He noticed his speed had increased dramatically.
So this is what explosive power feels like?
...
Meanwhile, the five who had been disciplined watched Lin Hu in utter confusion.
“Ti... Tiger...”
“Sob... sob...”
“Don’t go too far, Tiger—if you hit me with that, I’ll be dead for sure!”

Erguai stared for a long time.
At some point, a warm patch spread in his crotch.
He was so frightened he burst into tears.
He was supposed to be the last one to get slapped.
He’d hoped to just get it over with, but then Lin Hu suddenly got excited and started shadowboxing in front of him, his movements growing ever more intense.
With a flurry of punches, the veins on his biceps bulged so much they tore his undershirt.
How could he not be terrified?
“Tiger, I was wrong—I beg you, please spare me. From now on, my life is yours... I don’t want to die...”
Lin Hu finally realized what had happened.
Erguai had wet himself in terror, thinking Lin Hu was about to unleash a barrage of blows on him.
Originally, Lin Hu hadn’t planned to forgo those fourteen points of proficiency,
but after some thought, he figured if Erguai really followed him, he’d have plenty of excuses to slap him in the future.
After demanding so much, it was only fair to toss a sweet date now and then.
“Alright, stop crying.”
“With that little courage, you expect to follow me? I haven’t even started and you’ve already wet yourself.”
“I’ll let you off for now—you owe me.”
Hearing this, Erguai was like a condemned man granted a last-minute pardon, kowtowing with tears of gratitude.
“Thank you, Tiger, thank you! I’ll do my best from now on.”
“Boohoo...”
Lin Hu shook his head.
He glanced at the Ma family’s four brothers.
Ermai’s face was swollen from the slaps, his eyes wide with terror, looking at Lin Hu as if he were a monster.
The others were pale and shrinking back, afraid they’d be next.
“Listen up!”
Lin Hu shouted, his voice full of confidence and authority. “From now on, you all answer to me! If anyone disobeys, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
As he spoke, he flexed his arms, the muscles pronounced in the sunlight, a clear display of his formidable strength.
“Tiger, we know we were wrong! We’ll listen to you from now on!”
They hurried to nod and bow, their voices quivering with obvious fear.
They had now truly witnessed Lin Hu’s might, and any thought of resistance had been completely crushed.
Lin Hu knew this was only lip service. To truly make these men submit would be nearly impossible—after all, human nature is inherently rebellious; who wants to be beneath another forever?
Unless they had no chance at all.
Lin Hu understood this well. His gaze grew fierce as he looked down at them and said, “If you follow me, I’ll make sure you live well—but if you try any tricks, don’t blame me for being merciless!” Clenching his fists, he stood over them.